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United States moves closer to re-joining UNWTO with high-level delegation at Executive Council in Baku

United States moves closer to re-joining UNWTO with high-level delegation at Executive Council in Baku
Baku, Azerbaijan, 17 June 2019 – The United States of America has highlighted its support of tourism as a driver of sustainable development. A high-level delegation of the Government attending the World Tourism Organization Executive Council announced that the US is exploring the possibility of re-joining the UN agency responsible for the promotion of responsible, sustainable and accessible tourism.

The 110th Session of the UNWTO Executive Council is meeting this week in Baku, Azerbaijan, with Member States joined by representatives from the public and private sectors. In a move that has been widely welcomed as a sign of the United States’ commitment to UNWTO’s mandate, the country accepted the personal invitation of Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili to join the talks. Emma Doyle, Principal Deputy Chief of Staff to the President of the United States, announced before the Council that “the United States is exploring the possibility of re-joining the World Tourism Organization”, and noted that her country looks forward to working with UNWTO “to encourage tourism around the world.”

Quoting President Trump, she said that “America First does not mean America alone”, and added: “We believe that there is tremendous potential for UNWTO, with its focus on job creation and education, to be a beacon of innovation for other international organizations.”

Ms. Doyle headed the US delegation to the UNWTO Executive Council together with Ambassador Kevin E. Moley, Assistant US Secretary of State.

A founding member of UNWTO, the United States is currently one of the world’s biggest tourism markets, both as a destination and as a source of international tourists. In 2018, the country welcomed more than 60 million tourists and, according to the most recent UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, the tourism sector grew by 7% over the first quarter of 2019, compared to the same period last year.

UNWTO members welcomed the presence of the United States at the meeting in Baku as recognition of tourism’s growing relevance to global economic growth and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as an endorsement of UNWTO’s leadership.

The 110th Session of the Executive Council comes as UNWTO is undergoing a period of significant restructuring and streamlining. Key priorities of Secretary-General Pololikashvili include closer alignment with the wider United Nations system, financial sustainability and a focus on the role innovation, digital transformation and entrepreneurship can play in the global tourism sector.